Electromechanical winding device



May 4, 193. R. FouQuEs ET A1.

ELECTROMECHANICAL WINDING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z5 U/ ro M 5%@ @y May 24, w3. R, FOUQUES ET Al.. M139@ ELEGTROMECIANICAL WINDING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1938 UNHTED STATES anais@ ELECTROMECHANECAL WINDIN G DEVICE Raoul Fouques and Jacques Lenfant, Paris, France Application June 5, 1936, Serial No. 83,739

In France 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an electromechanical device for periodic Winding, adapted to be employed, in particular, for winding large or small clocks or similar movements, or for driving at denite intervals, during a predetermined length of time, a controlling or signalling mechanism.

One feature of the invention consists in a device for starting the winding or driving system at denite intervals, this starting being eiected by the action of one or more pins rigidly connected to a member driven by the motion of the clock or movement, the said pin or pins acting on a lever, I'or starting and stopping the winding operation, which displaces a pawl, the axis of which is rigidly connected to this lever, and brings it into engagement with the following tooth of a ratchet wheel. When the lever is released (by the pin, the displacement of which is continued during the operating period) and restored to its initial position by the action of a spring, the pawl causes a rotation of the ratchet wheel corresponding to the advancement of one tooth.

Another feature of the invention consists in the combination of a cam disc mounted on the same axis as the ratchet wheel, and a doublearmed lever, the prole of they said cam disc be- .ing such that one of the extremities of the lever may be either in a raised position or in a lowered position, according to whether its extremity rests on a projection or in a recess; to each of these positions there corresponds a definite position of a pair of brushes, which are associated with the commutator of an electric motor and are rigidly connected to the second lever-arm (stopping or running of the motor).

A further feature of the invention consists in the combination of the above two mechanisms, which combination allows, by the operation of the starting lever, of elTecting the displacement of the friction members which come into engagement with the commutator, and, consequently, of obtaining the starting of the electric motor.

A still further feature of the invention consists in that the brushes are brought into engagement with the commutator by a sliding movement of the said brushes on the commutator.

Another feature of the invention consists in the combination of a cylinder or barrel enclosing the normal driving spring of the movement, with the starting member of the winding system and a wheel for winding the spring, the said wheel being driven either by any mechanical coupling device or directly by the electric motor and, consequently, causing the tensioning of the spring July 3, 1935 during the operation of the motor and having, moreover, one or more stopping pins, the action 0i which on the starting and stopping lever causes the stopping of the winding system after a denite period of operation, by the action of the levers .and of the ratchet wheel and cam disc previously mentioned. A pin rigidly connected to the cylinder drives the normal mechanism of the clock or movement.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following more detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example, of the construction of a clock having a periodic winding system conceived in accordance with the spirit of the invention, and to the attached ngures, of which Fig. 1 illustrates a complete rear View of the mechanism of the clock and of the periodic winding system. Only the members which are necessary or understanding the invention have been illustrated. Moreover, for the sake of clearness in the illustration, the rear plate supporting the members has been assumed to be removed.

Fig. 2 illustrates a sectional view oi Fig. l along the line 4L Fig. 3 is a front view of the assembly of the cylinder, starting member, Winding wheel and driving wheel of the time mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side View of the assembly of Fig. 3, the different members having been spaced in order to show their arrangement more clearly.

The operation of the periodic winding system will now be explained with reference to these figures.

It is seen that, in the position shown in the figures, the member 5 for starting the winding operation is engaged and driven by the pin 5 rigidly connected to the cylinder l. The said pin 6 also entrains the toothed wheel 8 in gear with the usual clock mechanism, the details of which have not been illustrated. In this manner, therefore, the normal driving of the clock mechanism is obtained by the action oi a spring 3S within or otherwise associated with the cylinder or barrel l, which drives the mechanism: through the pin t, as has just been explained. rlhe pin 6 will therefore effect a rotating movement about the axis of the cylinder in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l (anticlockwise as viewed in the ligure), In the eX- ample illustrated, it has been .assumed that the said pin travels a complete revolution in one hour.

The winding member 5, which can rotate freely about its axis, has two diametricallyfopposed pins 9 and I0. This arrangement of the pins has been adopted in order to obtain winding every half hour. As a result of the member 5 being entrained by the pin 6, one of the pins 9, I will engage every half hour with the starting and stopping lever II;

Assume, as has been illustrated in Fig. 1, that the pin 9 engages the extremity of the lever II. When the member is further entrained by the pin 6, the pin 9 will displace the lever II, which pivots about the axis I2 and carries along the pawl I3, the axis I4 of which is rigidly connected to the said lever II. When the pin 9 has caused a certain displacement of the lever II, the pawl I3 leaves the tooth of the ratchet wheel I5 on which it rested, and falls into the following tooth. Shortly after this action, the pin 9, continuing its rotary movement, releases the lever II which, under the action of the spring 2I, returns to its initial position. During its return movement, the lever I I carries along the pawl VI3 which acts on the ratchet wheel I5, causing an anti-clockwise rotation of the said wheel corresponding to the advancement of one tooth.

Mounted rigidly on the same axis as the ratchet wheel I5 is a cam disc I6, on which bears the extremity of the arm I1 of a double-armed lever I1, I8 fulcrumed at 29. At the extremity of the second arm I8 is mounted an insulating member I9 supporting the two brushes 22 and 23 associated with the commutator 24 of the rotor 41 of an electric motor. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the working ends of the brushes are L-shaped in cross-section and are arranged so that one edge of the L is adapted to engage the commutator. In the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the arm I1 bears against a projection on the cam disc I6 and only the brush 22 is in engagement with the commutator 24. The supp-ly circuit of the motor is open.

When, as has been explained, the ratchet wheel I5 advances by one tooth under the action of the pawl I3, the cam disc I6 is also thereby entrained which causes the extremity of the lever arm I1 to enter a recess in the cam disc I5, under the action of the spring 43. This movement of the arm I1 raises the arm I8 pivotally about its axis 29, causing an upward displacement of the brushes 22 and 23, so that the brush 23 comes into engagement with the commutator 24 and the rotor 41 of the electric motor is started by an electric current, from a supply battery or equivalent source, flowing through the flexible conductors 25 and 26 connected to the terminals 21 and 28. The inductive flux necessary for the operation of the motor is furnished by the magnet 29 ending in the two pole-pieces 30 and 3I.

It will be noted that the brushes are positioned by sliding them across the commutator, which has a cleaning action, ensuring good electrical contact while preventing the introduction of additional Contact resistanoes.

During its rotating movement, the rotor 41 drives the toothed Wheel 38 rotatably mounted on the shaft 59, for winding the spring 39, through the intermediate gear wheels 32 to 31. On the wheel 38 are mounted two diametricallyopposed pins 40 and 4I. After a period of winding of the spring corresponding to about half an hour of operation of the clock, one of the pins 40, 4I engages the extremity of the lever II and causes the advancement of the ratchet wheel I5 by one tooth, in the same manner as has been described with reference to the pins 9, I0 for starting the winding system. I-Iowever, in this case, the extremity of the arm' I1, which rested in a recess in the cam disc I6, is lifted onto a projection by the movement of the said cam disc. Thus, in this case, the displacement of the arm I1 lowers the arm I8 to restore the brushes to the position shown in the Fig. 1. The brush 23 is disengaged from the commutator 24 and the supply current to the motor is cut off.

However, owing to its inertia, the rotor 41 will continue rotating for a short time after the current is interrupted, which will allow the pin 40 to disengage the extremity of the lever II so as not to interfere with the succeeding operation of starting the winding. This additional rotation of the rotor will also assist in cleaning the commutator 24, after interruption of the current, by the action of the brush 22 which is still in engagement with the commutator.

The succeeding winding operation will be effected under the action of the pin II'I of the member 5 and stopping will be effected by the action of the pin 4I of the winding Wheel 38.

The winding wheel 38 is integral with a collar 38 (shown in Fig. 2 but omitted from Fig. 4 for the sake of clearness) to which is connected one end of the spring 39 arranged in the barrel 1. The other end of the spring 39 is connected to the barrel 1 so that unwinding of the spring rotates the barrel to advance the pin 6,

The method of operation of the device is as follows:

The spring 39 drives the barrel 1 whereby the pin 6 is advanced to rotate the member 5 and also the toothed wheel 8 which drives the clock mechanism. In this manner the member 5 rotates until either the pin 9 or IU engages with the starting and stopping lever II. Continued movement of the pin moves the lever II and the pawl I3 wherebythe pawl engages with the next following tooth of the ratchet wheel I5. Shortly thereafter the pin 9 disengages from the end of the lever II whereby the spring 2I returns this lever and the pawl I3 to their initial position thereby advancing the ratchet wheel forward by one tooth.

The movement of the ratchet wheel simultaneously advances the cam disc I5, and the end of the arm I1 of the double armed lever I1, I8 moves into a recess in the cam disc, thereby permitting the spring 46 to rotate the double armed lever I1, I8 and move the brush 23 into engagement with the commutator to start the electric motor. Through the gear wheels 32 to 31 the winding wheel 38 is rotated to rewind the spring 39. In rotating the winding wheel 38, however, the pins 40, 4I are advanced and one of them (for example 48) also engages with the starting and stopping lever II to move the pawl I3 over the next following tooth of the ratchet wheel I5. On continued movement of the pin 40 the lever II is released whereby the ratchet Wheel is again advanced by one tooth. Simultaneously the cam disc I6 is advanced to move the lever arm I1 on to a projection thereof whereby the brushes are moved away from the commutator to stop the rewinding motor.

It is obvious that the member 5 may be given any desired form and may be provided with any number of pins for eifecting winding after a definite length of time, and the drive of the mechanism of the clock by a pin rigidly connected to the cylinder may be replaced by a toothed-wheel drive. In addition, it is possible to use fixed brushes which are constantly in engagement with the commutator and to feed them through xed contacts on which would be supported movable contacts actuated by the lever arm I8. These and other modifications are possible without departing from the ambit of the present invention.

The usual clock mechanism is protected from the action of the magnet 29 of the electric motor by a magnetic screen 44.

Although a specic embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be clearly understood that many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art which fall within the invention as dened in and by the appended claims.

We claimr- 1. A winding device for a clockwork mechanism comprising in combination a clockwork mechanism, a member driven by the clockwork mechanism, at least one pin connected to said member, a starting and stopping lever operated by said pin, a ratchet wheel having teeth, a pawl associated with said ratchet wheel, means for displacing said pawl by the movement of said lever, said lever being released from said pin when the pawl is moved over a following tooth of the ratchet Wheel, means for restoring the pawl to its initial position when released and thereby turning the ratchet wheel, a cam disc driven by said ratchet wheel, electrical contacts, means operated by said cam disc when it has been stepped round to close said electrical contacts, an electric. motor controlled by said contacts, means for Windagain after a predetermined time, whereby said ratchet wheel and cam disc are again stepped round, and means for opening the electrical contacts when the cam disc is in this position.

2. A Winding device for a clockwork mechanism comprising in combination a clockwork mechanism, a member driven by the clockwork mechanism, a ratchet wheel having teeth, a pawl associated with said ratchet wheel, means for displacing said pawl by the movement of said member, said pawl being released when it is moved over a following tooth of the ratchet Wheel, means fo-r restoring the pawl to its initial position when released and thereby turning the ratchet wheel, an electric motor, means operated when the ratchet is stepped forward to start said electric motor, means for winding the clockwork mechanism by said electric motor, means driven by said electric motor for operating the pawl again after a predetermined time whereby said ratchet wheel is again stepped round, and means operated by the ratchet wheel when 'in this position to stop the electric motor.

' RAOUL FOUQUES.

JACQUES LENFANT. 

